Fear the Walking Dead will always face one curse: constant comparison to its predecessor, The Walking Dead. In many ways, the two are very different shows. Most obviously, they take place on opposite coasts; Fear races too quickly, whereas the original tends to crawl; and The Walking Dead has done a far better job developing most of its characters than Fear has, with few exceptions. The prequel series tends to kill its characters off just as they’re becoming interesting—as it did Chris and, more recently, Travis in this season’s two-part premiere.

But on Sunday night, Fear ripped a page out of its predecessor’s book, dedicating a full capsule episode to Daniel Salazar—who, as viewers found out last week, apparently survived the fire at Celia’s compound that seemed to kill him off last season. The real surprise? This episode was a genuinely refreshing change of pace—and, unlike most of The Walking Dead’s stand-alone romps, was never boring.

Since Season 1, Daniel Salazar—expertly played by Rubén Blades—has been one of the most fascinating characters of the series. As viewers were thoroughly reminded on Sunday night, Daniel’s appeal has never been that he’s a hero; in fact, it's just the opposite. Daniel was once a member of the death squad la Sombra Negra. He murdered almost 100 men during the civil war in El Salvador while working for the government. His capsule episode gave viewers both a good reminder of why Daniel was being haunted by ghosts when we last saw him, and a refreshing change of pace: it was executed almost entirely in Spanish, with English subtitles.

As Blades told The Hollywood Reporter, “I don’t know if it’s ever happened before, and in my experience, I don’t remember it: to have a U.S. television outlet transmit in prime time an episode all in Spanish, with subtitles, that really got my attention. I don’t really recall that ever happening. I thought it was very bold of them and very courageous of them and also very timely.” (The Salazars have often communicated in Spanish throughout the series, but this was the first time an entire episode had included only Spanish dialogue.)

The episode also at times delves into magical realism, an unfamiliar mode for the usually grim, less-than-whimsical Walking Dead franchise. It hardly seems like an accidental move, however; much of Latin American literature is heavily steeped in magical realism. (Consider writers including Gabriel García Márquez, Jorge Luis Borges, and Isabel Allende.) Daniel’s survival—he somehow escaped a fire that left everyone else charred—sounds almost mythical as he describes it to the priest-like figure, Efrain, who saves him. Another mystical element? Efrain takes the dehydrated Daniel to a fountain located in the middle of a dry wasteland that spurts water every Tuesday at 5 P.M. like clockwork. “A little miracle,” Efrain calls it. And then there’s the almost biblical scene in which Daniel kneels before a walker, overwhelmed and ready to accept his fate—just before lightning strikes the walker in the head, knocking Daniel back next to a canal as water rises to carry him away.

When he comes to, Daniel finds himself inside the center where Dante—an old business associate of Strand’s who took him captive last week—has been hoarding all the water. It turns out that fountain was no miracle; Efrain had an associate on the inside who was routing the water there. Before long, Dante finds Daniel and recognizes his name, fingering him as a member of la Sombra Negra and asking him to be one of his henchmen.

At this point, the question that’s always been at the center of Daniel’s character emerges once again. Which side of him will win out—the moral side, or the side that prizes survival? When Daniel confessed to Efrain what he had done in El Salvador, he seemed genuinely repentant—just as he seemed haunted last season. But now, in a position in which his options are to kill and support an established regime, or try his luck out on the streets, it seems Daniel is ready to choose killing once more. As he tortures Efrain on Dante’s command, he asks Efrain for forgiveness. Efrain’s simple response: “Again?” In the end, however, Daniel chooses morality, killing Dante to save Efrain, Strand, and the rest.

Perhaps the easiest parallel to this episode in The Walking Dead itself is a two-part installment from Season 4, which reveals how the Governor survived the massacre on Woodbury, and how he staged a comeback that would eventually lead him to attack Rick’s prison. Those episodes are largely derided in retrospect as part of the series’s general tendency to overemphasize its bad guys. But Salazar’s comeback, on the other hand, was pretty economical, and tied in nicely with Strand’s story line from last week—which ended the episode with a moment seen again this week, when Daniel brings Strand a bottle of water. More importantly, whereas the Governor was a relatively one-dimensional villain, Daniel Salazar has always been presented as a multi-faceted protagonist. An anti-hero, perhaps, but one viewers are always meant to root for, even as he struggles with his many inner demons

And that, perhaps, is the real key to how Fear has succeeded where The Walking Dead consistently fails: by giving a capsule episode to the show’s long-missing, most-fascinating character, it expanded on a narrative viewers actually want to watch—instead of, say, dedicating an entire episode to one of its least interesting characters’ journey to a random fishing village.

Daryl Dixon

This photo has a lot of layers—both literal and figurative. Clearly, the hat is a nod to the blistering sun—which, ostensibly, is also responsible for the impressive amount of sweat soaking through Daryl’s shirt. Then again, if it’s so hot, why on earth is Daryl—the king of bare biceps—wearing this loud button-down shirt? For the love of God, if we’re going to give him an unnecessary layer, make it a poncho.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

King Ezekiel

King Ezekiel looks like he’s ready for a snowy hiking trip with Bane in that long, fur-lined leather jacket. Somehow, he barely seems to be breaking a sweat—not that you'd see it through that coat.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Rick Grimes

It’s been many a moon since we’ve seen Rick with dry hair. His perpetually sweat-soaked button-downs and water-logged locks are worthy of the desert—or Disney World in the summer. Yet, there he is, talking to be-leathered, unbothered King Ezekiel. If the rule of good leadership is “never let 'em see you sweat,” Rick should be fired immediately.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Carol Peletier

Carol has taken to wearing a heavy-looking, camel-colored coat. And apparently it’s so cold in this scene that even the zombie had to put on her cardigan before stalking her prey.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Sasha Williams

I guess it’s warm? I mean, everyone is definitely less layered than they were during the season premiere, as they all sat in a semi-circle shaking with fear in their jackets and over-shirts and long sleeves. Sasha’s even wearing short sleeves now!

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Maggie Greene

Then again, here’s Maggie, in long sleeves and an undershirt with no pit stains! Oh, to have that superpower.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Enid and Carl

I give up. Here are Enid and Carl on roller skates. Enjoy the midseason premiere on Sunday night. I’ll be here, staring at everyone’s clothes and dejectedly muttering to myself.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Daryl Dixon

This photo has a lot of layers—both literal and figurative. Clearly, the hat is a nod to the blistering sun—which, ostensibly, is also responsible for the impressive amount of sweat soaking through Daryl’s shirt. Then again, if it’s so hot, why on earth is Daryl—the king of bare biceps—wearing this loud button-down shirt? For the love of God, if we’re going to give him an unnecessary layer, make it a poncho.

Courtesy of AMC.

King Ezekiel

King Ezekiel looks like he’s ready for a snowy hiking trip with Bane in that long, fur-lined leather jacket. Somehow, he barely seems to be breaking a sweat—not that you'd see it through that coat.

Courtesy of AMC.

Rick Grimes

It’s been many a moon since we’ve seen Rick with dry hair. His perpetually sweat-soaked button-downs and water-logged locks are worthy of the desert—or Disney World in the summer. Yet, there he is, talking to be-leathered, unbothered King Ezekiel. If the rule of good leadership is “never let 'em see you sweat,” Rick should be fired immediately.

Courtesy of AMC.

Carol Peletier

Carol has taken to wearing a heavy-looking, camel-colored coat. And apparently it’s so cold in this scene that even the zombie had to put on her cardigan before stalking her prey.

Courtesy of AMC.

Negan

Again: here’s our Big Bad, zipped into his leather jacket, which looks like a thick summer sausage casing—and looking pretty comfy. In one episode, we see Negan all layered up and then totally comfy on the porch with Carl—sporting bare arms. One of those two outfits must be uncomfortable, right?

Courtesy of AMC.

Paul Rovia (Jesus)

Jesus might be the key to unlocking this puzzle. In recent episodes, he’s been seen without his beanie and jacket—which would imply to us that it’s getting warmer. So perhaps it’s spring? But if that's the case, how are Ezekiel and the Kingdom growing such luscious apples and pomegranates? Back to Square One.

Courtesy of AMC.

Tara Chambler

Far be it for us to tell a woman how to dress—but why layer two short-sleeved shirts? If it’s warm, this would theoretically be uncomfortable—and if it’s cool, wouldn’t it be easier to simply wear sleeves? Perhaps long-sleeved shirts are in short supply during the zombie apocalypse.

Courtesy of AMC.

Morgan Jones

Morgan is wearing the same clothing as Rick these days, yet he produces less sweat. That kind of biological poise is why he belongs in a place called the Kingdom, and Rick does not.

Courtesy of AMC.

Michonne

Speaking of the Kingdom: my kingdom to whoever can explain to me Michonne and Ezekiel's clearly polar opposite body temperatures.

Dwight

I don’t know, man. I just don’t know.

Courtesy of AMC.

Sasha Williams

I guess it’s warm? I mean, everyone is definitely less layered than they were during the season premiere, as they all sat in a semi-circle shaking with fear in their jackets and over-shirts and long sleeves. Sasha’s even wearing short sleeves now!

Courtesy of AMC.

Maggie Greene

Then again, here’s Maggie, in long sleeves and an undershirt with no pit stains! Oh, to have that superpower.

Courtesy of AMC.

Enid and Carl

I give up. Here are Enid and Carl on roller skates. Enjoy the midseason premiere on Sunday night. I’ll be here, staring at everyone’s clothes and dejectedly muttering to myself.